Process of bating and tanning hides



, Patented Aug. 8, 1882.

M. TURLEY.

PROCESS OF EATING AND TANNING HIDES.

(Model.)

z l z I z r I r r r l N. l Wv\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ F W x UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

MARSHALL TURLEY, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

PROCESS OF BATING AND TANNING HIDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,516, dated August8, 1882. Application filed November 1, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom it mayconcern Be it known that I, MARSHALL TURLEY, of Council Bluffs, in thecounty of Pottawattamic, and in the State of Iowa, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Bating andTanningHides;andldoherebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to an improved process or method of hating hides;and it has for its object to provide an improved means of neutralizingthe lime employed in removing the hair therefrom. This object Iaccomplish by the process hereinafter specified. The apparatus which Iprefer to use to carry out the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a transversevertical sectional view of the apparatus employed in carrying out myinvention, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

The letter A indicates a chamber divided into two compartments by meansof a partition, B. In the larger compartment, which is indicated by theletter a, is located a vessel, 0, which is divided into twocompartments, 0 c, by means of a partition, 0

The apparatus is provided with a removable cover, D, which rests uponcleats E, secured to the interior of the chamber near its upper edge.

One of the compartments in the chamber 0 is designed to contain carbonor charcoal and the other to contain sulphur, which, when ignited, willgenerate carbonic-acid, and sulphurous-acid gases, which will permeatethe hides and neutralize the lime. The hides, after being treated withlime in the usual manner, are suspended upon supports F on oppositesides of the compartment a, where they are thoroughly subjected to theaction of the combined gases developed by the burning charcoal andsulphur. They are then removed and partially tanned, as usual, beingsubjected to the action of the tanning material for five or six days.They are then hung in the smaller compartment a, which communicates withthe compartment a by means of apertures a in the partition B, until theyare thoroughly relaxed and softened by the gases passing from saidcompartment a, after which they are removed to the tanning-vats and thetanning process completed in the usual manner.

The air necessary'to support the combustion of the burning materials issupplied through a tube, G, provided with a valve, H.

I am aware that a composition of carbon, sulphur, and nitrate of potashhas been employed to generate acid gases for batin g hides; but thegases generated by such are apt to be contaminated by free sulphuricacid. Hence I do not claim such compound, nor the treatment of hides bythe gases produced from such.

I am also aware that carbonic-acid and sulphurous-acid gases haveheretofore been produced eonjointly by burning charcoal andsulpliurtogether, and 1 do not therefore lay any claim to the productionof the said combined gases, nor to the subjection of the hides and skinsto the action of such, the essential feature of my invention consistingin the order of'the steps by which the hides are treated, as set forth.Nor do I claim the apparatus described and shown for generating thecombined gases, as the same forms no essential part of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

The process herein described of bating and tanning hides, which consistsin first subjecting the same to the combined action of carbonic andsulphurous acid gases, then partially tanning and afterward subjectingthe partially-tanned hides to the action of the said combined gases, andfinally tanning in the usual manner, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 22d day of October, 1881.

MARSHALL TURLEY.

Witnesses:

J. J. MCCARTHY, OHAs. D. DAVIS.

